Clergy members representing more than a dozen churches in the Springfield area attended the event.
SPRINGFIELD — More than a dozen churches participated Tuesday night in a community worship service at St. John’s Congregational Church on Union Street that sought to highlight the “plight of black and Latino males” in the wake of the George Zimmerman trial.
Speaking about the violence which plagues communities of color in Springfield, the Rev. Calvin J. McFadden Jr., pastor of St. John’s, said, “We need to look at ourselves and how we are getting rid of ourselves within ourselves. It is time for this to stop.”
McFadden, senior pastor of St. John’s, said the intent of the church service was to “bring the community together to raise the social consciousness of the community, to commemorate the life of Trayvon Martin and to show a display of strong black and brown, African-American and Latino men as a picture of strength and solidarity.”
In the aftermath of the not guilty verdict in the trial of Zimmerman, who has Hispanic heritage, in the death of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in Florida, McFadden said the purpose of the service was “to bring the community together for healing, racial reconciliation and to raise the social awareness of the plight of black and Latino males in these yet to be United States of America.”
“This is a Save Our Boys worship service,” McFadden said. He had the more than a dozen clergy members from the Springfield area who attended the service stand and be recognized.
McFadden said a large number of pastors and community leaders rallied behind the effort to bring the community together because “although we may not have agreed with the George Zimmerman trial verdict, we recognize that there is much work to be done to protect and preserve the lives of children and young adults, black and brown boys in particular, in the city of Springfield and in this region.”
The keynote speaker for the event was the Rev. Delman Coates of the Mount Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md.
Coates is a graduate of Morehouse College, Harvard Divinity School, and holds both a master’s degree and doctorate from Columbia University.
Other participants included comedian Gerald Kelly as well as GG Mime Crew and a 50-plus all male choir.
A special prayer was offered for young boys and men who attended the service. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Trayvon Martin Foundation, set up by Martin’s parents.
Participating churches and pastors included:
- St. John’s Congregational Church and McFadden;
- Progressive Community Baptist Church and the Rev. Brett Snowden, senior pastor;
- Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ and the Rev. Talbert Swan II, senior pastor;
- Mount Calvary Baptist Church and the Rev. Mark Flowers, senior pastor;
- MLK Presbyterian Church and the Rev. Peter T. Sylver, senior pastor;
- Zion Community Baptist Church and the Rev. Miles T. Crawford, pastor emeritus;
- The Family Church, Rev. Gail Hill, senior pastor;
- St. Mark’s CME Church, Rev. Maxine Moore, senior pastor;
- Christ Church Cathedral and The Very Rev. James Munroe, dean;
- New Life Calvary Baptist Church, Rev. Jesse Williams, senior pastor;
- Holy Trinity Church of God in Christ, Rev. J.P. Morgan Jr., senior pastor;
- Christian Faith Baptist Church, Rev. Amos L. Bailey, senior pastor;
- The Basilica of the Holy Apostles, Archbishop Timothy Paul, senior pastor;
- Canaan Baptist Church of Christ, Dr. W.C. Watson, senior pastor